Summer Pudding — berry-soaked bread pudding
Summer pudding is the most British of summer desserts: a pudding basin lined with thin slices of white bread, filled with hot stewed soft berries (raspberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant), and weighted overnight until the bread has absorbed all the juice and turned deep ruby. Turned out, it is a glistening dome of pure berry colour.
i. Origin & history
Summer pudding emerged in Victorian Britain as a way to use stale bread with the abundant soft fruit of the British summer. It is now a fixture of British summer dinners.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 10 slices day-old white bread, crusts off
- 250 g raspberries
- 250 g blackcurrants
- 250 g redcurrants
- 250 g strawberries
- 200 g caster sugar
- 60 ml water
iii. Method
- Simmer all berries with sugar and water 4 min until juicy but still distinct.
- Line a 1 litre pudding basin with cling film. Line with bread slices, slightly overlapping, leaving extra to cover the top.
- Pour in berries and most of the juice; reserve some.
- Top with bread slices. Cover with cling film; weight with a small plate.
- Refrigerate at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
- Invert onto a plate; pour reserved juice over any pale patches. Serve with cream.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Brown bread summer pudding uses wholemeal bread. Modern variations use brioche or panettone. Individual summer puddings are made in small moulds.
vi. Common questions
What is summer pudding?
Summer Pudding is berry-soaked bread pudding, from british & irish cuisine. Turned out, it is a glistening dome of pure berry colour
Where is summer pudding from?
Summer Pudding is from the british & irish dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does summer pudding keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days refrigerated.